Vikings Make Sure a Starter Doesn’t Hit Free Agency
The Minnesota Vikings are expected to be one of the most exciting teams in this year’s free-agency cycle. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got a headstart by re-signing a couple of guys. Earlier in the week, he handed safety Theo Jackson a new deal, and the numbers suggest that he will be in line for a bigger role.
Vikings Make Sure a Starter Doesn’t Hit Free Agency
Just a few days later, when all eyes were on the beginning of free agency with the legal tampering window opening on Monday, the club agreed to terms with one of the top in-house free agents: running back Aaron Jones.
Jones was hired a year ago to give the awful rushing attack a boost, and he surely did that in his first year with the purple team after spending his entire career to date with the Packers.
His career might slowly reach its final destination at the age of 30, but he is not done, receiving a sweet contract from the Vikings worth $20 million for a couple of seasons.
ESPN’s insider Adam Schefter reported on Sunday afternoon, “Minnesota is getting back its back: Aaron Jones is re-signing with the Vikings on a two-year, $20 million deal that includes $13 million guaranteed, per sources. The deal was negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus.”
A year ago, the Packers said goodbye to pivot to free agent Josh Jacobs, but the Vikings were lucky to have Jones. He enjoyed an excellent season, putting up career highs in rushing attempts and rushing yards, and, perhaps most importantly, after an injury-riddled season in 2023, he played in all 17 regular season games and the playoff matchup.
In the regular season, Jones produced over 1,500 scrimmage yards, with 1,138 yards on the ground and 408 yards as a pass-catcher. He found the endzone seven times.
The contract brings some risk, as running backs usually take a step back at the age of 30 (many even earlier than that). Giving a runner on the wrong side of that mark $13 million guaranteed is risky, but Jones looked sharp a few months ago, and the Vikings bet on continued health and explosiveness.
His return could’ve been expected by listening to the people involved. Late in the 2024 season, Jones even suggested that he would love to retire in the Twin Cities.
Jones told the Pioneer Press, “This is an excellent place. This is where I hope to finish my career.”
In February, Kevin O’Connell was asked about the future of the running back position, and he was full of praise for his veteran rusher: “The big thing for me is we loved having Aaron Jones; the impact he had. He was really, for the better part of his career, part of backfield committees, and for the most part, Aaron Jones was the featured back, played 17 games, he was able to be durable, over 1,500 yards all-purpose for us, catching the ball out of the backfield, running it at an elite level, so I would love to have Aaron back.”
The front office grants both the head coach and the athlete their wish, and the duo will reunite for a second and third season.
O’Connell added a wrinkle that would suggest a new runner could arrive via the draft: “And then I just think we continue to grow in that room, whether it’s infusing a young player in the draft or maybe another player in free agency alongside Aaron Jones, hopefully. I think we will continue to grow in our run game; we’ll continue to grow to being a complete offense, which is very important.”
Of course, that wingman could also be signed in free agency, but the draft class is one of the strongest ever, so why not pair the aging veteran with a young guy who can take some load off him?
Re-signing Jones is the first splashy move the Vikings have made this offseason; many more could follow.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt